Icarus Drowning
by Ezellia
Summary: Modern Day AU. In Kingdom Hearts Organization XIII is more powerful as a crime syndicate than the new government. Years ago Roxas caught the attention of Axel, the eighth member. Now, Axel sees his chance to force the blonde into becoming his permanently.
1. Forcing His Hand

AN: So this is an AU that came to me while I was watching Sons of Anarchy. It's a fictional story about a biker gang and it's relations with the local people and towns in the US. It darws many elements from the real life gang, Hell's Angels. This is a modern AU story about Organization XIII being an influential gang in Kingdom Hearts.

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><p>"They picked him up yesterday morning." Seifer removed his blue beanie, running his hand through the flattened locks with an exasperated sigh only to replace the hat once again over his head. "Roxas? You hearin' me, chicken wuss?"<p>

"Yeah, I hear you." Roxas mumbled.

Seifer couldn't bring himself to make a harsh remark about Roxas not listening to him when he was only trying to help. He was having a hard enough time not reaching around and wrapping the tinier blond in a protective hug like he was once able to. "They've been treating him well, I made sure. But they pulled me on the case since I have a," Seifer paused, trying to find the right words "an indirect relation to him."

Roxas nodded, placing a fingernail between his teeth as he chewed nervously, his eyes never leaving Sora on the other side of the one way mirror. Sweet little Sora, the mousy, jumpy brunette looked disheveled, sitting in interrogation room, a bright light forcing him to squint as he was put in the spotlight.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Roxas asked, turning with his big blue eyes at Seifer. "Is he being charged?"

Seifer sighed, rubbing his face in an exasperated fashion. "Come on." He said, opening the door to the hallway outside, holding the door for Roxas. The smaller blond still had his backpack on; he'd run over in the middle of a lecture, giving his teacher the finger as he went.

Out in the hallway, various members of the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee were bustling about, moving criminals and papers about the office that served as a makeshift Police Station. Twilight Town had yet to establish a proper form of local Police force, so Seifer Almasy had formed the Disciplinary Committee.

"This way." Seifer motioned to Roxas, leading him through the crowded hallways past other offices to his own. Roxas noted the name plate on the front, heavy wooden door. Seifer Almasy, Head Director.

The inside of the office was simple, a computer, a big desk, and a leather chair. All of which were surrounded by stacks of large papers. Seifer sighed and threw himself into his chair, slouching unprofessionally as he motioned for Roxas to take a seat at a chair in front of his desk. Roxas dropped his backpack to the ground and did as he was told silently.

"Look-" Seifer said with a sigh, rubbing his temples.

"The charge is bullfuck." Roxas quipped, his blue eyes never leaving Seifer.

"Yes, I know." Seifer mumbled. "But there's nothing I can do. I'm no longer on the case. It doesn't make any sense, I know. There's no way Sora broke a law; hell, the kid cried in fourth grade when I caught him in the bathroom without a hall pass." Both blondes took a moment to laugh at the old memory from their shared childhood.

"But there has to be something!" Roxas said. "I don't care if he doesn't have an alibi or theres some bullshit evidence that points to Sora, it's all shit!"

"Yes, Roxas! I know!" Seifer said much louder than he intended. A tense moment passed between the two blondes. "Look, Roxas." He leaned forward towards his desk, clasping his hands together as if he was about to pray, resting his chin on his fists. "I've already tried everything. I've talked to everyone I can, pulled the highest string I can reach, and took a look at all the evidence myself. Somehow his fingerprints were at the scene. I know its shit, but there's nothing I can do."

Roxas already heard it; he already knew that Seifer couldn't do anything, even if he was the founder and Director of the Disciplinary Committee. But hearing it in such a finalizing tone hit him hard.

"So what happens to him?" Roxas asked quietly, lowering his gaze to star at his hands, folded limply in his lap.

"I'm not sure." Seifer sighed. "We hold him till it goes to court. And when it goes through, which it will," Seifer added with a wince. "He'll be sentenced to a couple years. Maybe ten? Parole in seven."

Roxas bit his lip, trying to will away the tears that gathered behind his eyes.

"Where's Riku?" Seifer asked with a sigh. "Shouldn't he be here?"

"Can't. In Hollow Bastion. He doesn't even know yet."

"Mmm." Seifer agreed wordlessly.

There was silence as Seifer watched Roxas watch his shoes. When the blonde's head suddenly snapped up to look him in the eyes, Seifer jumped slightly. "Sora turned eighteen less than a week ago."

"Yeah. He'll be charged as an adult. Real suspicious fucking timing, huh?"

Roxas nodded and looked back at his shoes. "If you need something to punch," Seifer offered, "there's a Struggle gym downstairs."

Roxas shook his head. In any other situation he would be violently expressing his rage. But for some reason he'd skipped his anger phase and gone straight to depressed acceptance of the situation.

"Can you think of anyone who would want to set Sora up?" Seifer asked.

Roxas just shook his head quietly. Everyone loved Sora. He was bubbly and happy and loving. There was no way he broke the goddamn law.

"What is it?" Roxas looked up to see Seifer answering a blinking intercom on his desk.

"Visitor." Fuu's monotone voice carried the word over the intercom.

"Well tell him I'm fucking busy!" Seifer snapped.

"For Roxas." She replied, still monotone.

Roxas looked up, meeting Seifer's confused look with an equally clueless expression. "Who is it?" He asked.

"Who is it?" Seifer repeated to Fuu. "Tell him to wait a minute."

"Can't." Fuu replied, before the line was disconnected. Seifer and Roxas exchanged one more confused glance before Seifer looked past Roxas' shoulder, through the window of his office.

"Fuck." Seifer said, standing up. Roxas turned in his chair, immediately understanding why Fuu couldn't stop his visitor from barging into Seifer's office.

Axel Flynn, the eight member of Organization XIII, was sauntering through the Disciplinary Committee office. Other officers and offenders all cleared the hallway in front of him as he moved fluidly and unhindered through the hallways, which was odd as he was a supposed criminal.

He was wearing the black cloak of Organization XIII, the hood down to reveal his bright red hair and emerald green eyes. His black boots clicked against the hardwood floor as he was followed silently by his Assassin Nobodies, the soldiers of Organization XIII strictly loyal to Axel and none other. There were four of them, following silently behind him, not daring to step too quickly or move past their master. They were all dressed in black, skinny lithe men with hard faces. Behind them, Roxas hadn't noticed him right away, was the lowest level of Heartless, who was there to hold Axel's coat and open doors for him when commanded.

Roxas dropped when Axel caught his look, smiling a cocky but drop dead sexy smile at the blond. Roxas' stomach dropped when Axel motioned for his four Assassins to wait outside the door to Seifer's office as he entered without bothering to knock. It was just not in Axel's nature to knock.

Roxas waited with baited breath as Axel stepped into the room and shut the door gracefully behind him. He smiled a cocky smile at stared down at Roxas. "Hello there, Roxy. Fancy running into you here, lovely."

"Fuck you." Was Roxas curt response, to which Axel paid no mind.

"What are you doing here, Axel?" Seifer asked with venom in his voice, apparently offended at not being the least bit acknowledged by Axel.

"I heard Roxas ran here in the middle of class." Axel smiled pleasantly. That goddamn liar, Roxas thought. He had someone watching me. "I was worried about him being in trouble."

"Well he's fine." Seifer snapped. "So you can leave."

"Mmm." Axel said, a look of permanent, smug content on his face as he strode around Seifer's office, summing it up in his head. Roxas stood from his chair, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. "Nice office here." Axel commented.

"Axel, what do you want?" Roxas finally snapped, Axel's nonchalance finally forcing him to break his silence.

Axel swooped in at the negative attention, moving to stand beside Roxas with one long stride of is impossibly long legs. "I'm only here to help you Roxy."

"I'm just fine." Roxas repeated Seifer's earlier words, looking to the blond for assistance.

Seifer only shook his head and sighed, it's not like he could force Axel to leave. The Organization XIII member had more influence than him in this goddamn department. He'd tried hundreds of times to arrest Axel. But each time he got close, a higher authority would call him and order him to drop all the charges, the trial, the arrest, let Axel go free. The closest Seifer had ever gotten was arresting one of Axel's closest henchmen.

"Yes, but I hear your brother isn't quite so lucky."

Roxas froze. And suddenly he understood why Axel had shown up.

"Director Seifer," Axel said pleasantly, his eyes not leaving Roxas, still standing defiantly before him. "Might I kindly have a moment alone with Roxas Strife?"

Seifer gripped the edge of his desk, opening his mouth to deny it. Roxas quickly held up a hand, signaling that the older blonde not argue. With humiliation, rage, hatred, a millions of other emotions dripping from his voice, Seifer grudgingly left the room. "Remember Roxas, I'll be on the other side of this door. Just yell."

Roxas nodded as the door closed. When the click of the door falling into place was heard, Axel let out a dramatic sigh. Moving to the large window, he drew the blinds, much to Seifer's chagrin, and flicked on the light.

"Finally, he's gone." The redhead said with relief. "So," Unzipping the front of his coat, Axel let the black leather slip from his shoulders with ease, dropping the article on top of Seifer's desk. "You and I," Axel removed his black leather gloves, dropping them on top of his coat. "Have something to discuss." Axel dropped into Seifer's leather chair, leaning back comfortably.

Now, dressed smartly in a black turtle neck and fitting black pants, Axel reclined in Seifer's chair, watching Roxas with a pleasant smile. "Please," He motioned to the chair from which Roxas' had previously risen. "Sit."

Roxas did so, all the time keeping a cautious eye on Axel. "What do you want Axel?"

"How long have we known each other, Roxas?" Axel asked, throwing his feet up on Seifer's desk and folding his hands behind his head.

"I don't care." Roxas said.

"Three years." Axel offered. "I was nineteen and you were fifteen."

Roxas pretended he didn't already know. But of course Axel knew he knew; it was hard to forget meeting someone like Axel, even without the circumstances under which it occurred.

"Same count goes for how long you've been rejecting my advances." Axel said, his voice still pleasant, but his eyes serious.

Roxas shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but refused to break eye contact with Axel. "How fan-fuckin-tastic."

With a hearty chuckle, Axel dropped his heavy boots to the floor and leaned forward over the desk, clasping his hands and resting his chin upon them as he studied Roxas' appearance across the desk. "You're even lovelier today than when we first met." He said quietly, his voice, loving adoration.

"What do you want, Axel?" Roxas asked again more firmly.

"I want you."

"Get fucking serious."

"I am serious." Axel said. His sudden change in tone sent shivers up Roxas' spine as he went form pleasant to determined and passionate. "I've wanted you since the first time I ever saw you. I wanted you and knew I'd have you, one way or another."

Suddenly feeling panicked, Roxas stood from his chair, backing behind it as if it would protect him from Axel. "What are you saying, Axel?" He'd known of the redhead's obsession over him only too well for the past three years, but never before had it been so bluntly stated and confronted.

"I'm saying," Axel said quietly, rising from his seat to step towards Roxas, who in turn stepped back. Axel continued stepping forward in a slow, deliberate manner, sending Roxas back one step in turn until the blonde's back was against the wall of the suddenly small office.

"I'm saying," Axel repeated, taking the final step to close the distance between himself and Roxas he towered over the smaller blonde. "That I will have you." Placing two hands on either side of Roxas' head, he leaned down so that he was mere inches away from Roxas' face, his lips inches from Roxas'.

"Ax-Axel…" Roxas panicked, trying to pull words from a short circuited brain as he felt Axel's hot breath on his cheeks. "Axel, what're you doing?"

"I'm offering you a deal." Axel said quietly, his lips so close to Roxas' that every word was a little brush against each other. "To save your twin brother."

Roxas brain suddenly kicked into motion, and with a surge of adrenaline, he was able to punch Axel as hard as he could in his stomach. Arms dropping as he stumbled, but didn't fall, Axel never fell, Roxas was able to slip past the redhead, running to the other side of the desk, putting it between himself and the redhead.

Axel, despite the minor blow and minor pain, chuckled as he straightened, once again a towering beast of a man inside a thin but strong body. "Good one, lovely. Almost knocked me down."

"Sora's innocent!" Roxas snapped, again fighting with renewed vigor, frustration, and anger. "He didn't do," Roxas picked up the case file on Seifer's desk and threw it at Axel's feet. "Didn't do this!"

Axel merely shrugged and stepped over the papers now littered about the ground, moving forward to place both hands on top of the edge of the desk and lean in towards Roxas. "I don't know the details of the case Roxas," which was surprising. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

"Then what the hell are you doing?" Roxas asked again, this time his voice a more forced calm.

"I care about you Roxas." Axel stated factually. "Lot's of people in this town care about you. Not quite the same as Sora." Roxas opened his mouth to argue the pointlessness, but Axel cut him off. "And lots of people want that cute little ass of yours. Now, I know you're a virgin, no, don't deny it." Axel said, smiling at the blush that crept up Roxas' cheeks. "I've been watching you since you were fifteen, and anyone who ever tried to get close to you was handled discreetly."

At the mention of discreet handling of anyone who ever paid Roxas any attention, the blond suddenly made several connections to the people in his past who had one day asked him on a date, and only hours later had cancelled and never spoken to him again.

"I want you, Roxas." Axel said again. "For the past three years I have. And here's my chance."

"What do you-"

"Your brother's going to jail, Roxy." Axel said with a hinting voice, and suddenly the blond understood.

In a quiet, scared voice, all passion and determination gone, Roxas replied; "And you can prevent that."

"I know some people." Axel shrugged. "People much higher than your little buddy out there." He jerked a thumb towards the door where Seifer stood on the opposite side of. "I can get Sora out of all of this. Get him erased a suspect. It'll never haunt him again, and there will never be any kind of dark mark on his legal record."

Roxas had been right. "And in return you want me." He said breathlessly. Quietly.

"Organization XIII had influence across the kingdom, Roxas." The redheaded member said plainly. "I could have you kidnapped and shipped off to our headquarters to live in my closet as a sex slave. I could rape you right here, right now, in Seifer's office, and get away with it."

Roxas visibly cringed at the thought, shrinking up on himself as he fell backwards into Seifer's leather chair, head down, body limp.

"But I won't." Voice soft and gentle, Axel moved around Seifer's desk. With a gentle push, he moved the swivel chair so Roxas was facing him to the side. With a gentle caress of the blonde's head, Axel knelt down so he was eye level to the blonde who refused to look up. "I'll treat you gently. I'll pamper you and give you anything you could ever hope for." He added as an afterthought. "In return for your obedience."

Roxas remained staring at his shoes. Axel frowned slightly. When appealing to his own personal needs and interests didn't result in any favorable reaction from the blonde, Axel changed tactics. He'd known, stalked, and obsessed over Roxas for three years. He knew exactly what to say to appeal to him.

"I can extend the protection of Organization XIII to your family." Roxas perked up at that, spurring Axel to continue. "I know you've lost your mother and father. Sora is the only one you have left. I can protect him, make sure no harm comes to him. From anyone, including the Organization."

Roxas still seemed hesitant.

"Fuck the new government." Axel said more firmly. "They have yet to establish strong ties in any of the cities. Sure, they're feeding people and rebuilding the kingdom, but they can't protect the people from everything. And this little Disciplinary Committee? It's a joke, as we've learned today. It can't protect you or Sora. Only I can."

Axel stood his a frown as something his back popped. Damn, he was sore form that fight last night.

"What do you say, Roxas?" Axel held out his hand to the blonde teen.

A long silence weighed heavily in the room.

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><p>Roxas wrapped his jacket around his twin as he lead Sora out of the interrogation room into the hallway. Sora looked up at him with a confused expression, his eyes wide and still adjusting to the light of the hallway. "Roxas, what's going on?" He asked.<p>

Gripping his twin's thin wrist, Roxas led him down the hallway to the exit, pulling harder and walking faster than he'd intended. "What about the charges?" Sora asked again. As he walked faster than he'd like, Sora and Roxas passed by Seifer, who was leaning against the door of his office, glaring at nothing in particular. "Roxas?"

"Charges were dropped." Roxas mumbled, "You're not a suspect anymore. You're cleared to leave."

"Roxas what-" As the twins rounded the corner leading to the front door, Sora squeaked as he ran into his brother's back who had frozen in place. Sora opened his mouth to utter an apology until he saw what had made his brother stop dead.

Axel.

The redhead in question was blocking the front door out, slipping on his black leather gloves. He was surrounded by four Assassins, and a lower Heartless who was holding out his black leather jacket to his master, not daring make eye contact.

"Axel! What do you want?" Sora moved to stand protectively in front of his twin, a growl on his lips. Something about Axel's smile bothered him. He'd never seen Axel this happy, not in his past three years of stalking Roxas.

"Three days." Axel said simply, holding up three fingers, wiggling them teasingly. "Three days, Roxas. 8 o'clock sharp, I'll be at your apartment. Be packed and ready to go, I don't appreciate having to wait."

With another grin and wink at Sora, Axel was gone with a turn of his heel and swish of his coat. His henchmen followed behind him at a respective but still protective distance, watching their master's back. No one would dare attack a man like Axel from the front.

Silence rained in the hallway, even the miscellaneous member of the Disciplinary Committee had made themselves scarce.

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><p>AN: I really liked the way this chapter went, although the ending could have been stronger. I hope you like it anyways, please read and review!<p>

Ezellia


	2. Saying Goodbye

AN: Wow, the second chapter. I was planning to have this up much sooner, but you know how it goes with us lazy as flying flip writers. Thanks for hanging on though! On with the show!

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><p>Riku arrived early the next morning after Sora's release; he'd literally flown across the world to be with his lover and longtime boyfriend in a single day. Sora had fallen asleep on the couch facing the front door waiting up for him. When Riku had come stumbling through the front door, half dead and soaked with rain, he'd run straight to Sora, sinking to his knees beside the couch and throwing himself over his boyfriend.<p>

Roxas had spent the last three days of what he considered his "freedom" tying up loose ends with his life. He floated about the house and the town in an eerie sort of calm, noting but ignoring the Assassin that followed him from a safe distance. He spent his time doing silly things with Sora he'd never do otherwise, as if he was finishing up a last-minute bucket list. Sora followed him with a pained expression, guilt obvious on his ever emotional face. He chewed his lip and bit his nails, as if a long tirade of emotions and apologies was dancing on the tip of his tongue, but he remained silent. Roxas personally preferred it that way.

The first day Roxas had spent withdrawing from college; Axel said his continued attendance would be unnecessary.

Roxas liked to consider himself lucky for those three days; a dead man rarely got a heads up, much less three days. By the third morning, Roxas had exhausted himself with pointless emotion and anger at the fates. Tomorrow morning he would belong to Axel, hypothetically and literally. Members of Organization XIII pressed women and men into service as life partners or sex slaves more often than not. Legally no action could be taken, because as far as legality goes, Roxas was offering himself willingly. And he wouldn't dare testify otherwise; there was too much at stake.

It'll be okay, Roxas told himself. Which was half true.

Axel may be a criminal bastard with a tendency for blackmail, extortion, violence, hatred, and cunning, but Roxas had known him to be a truthful bastard. If Axel said he would protect Sora, god knew the boy needed protecting, then he would. Even as the eighth member of Organization XIII, Axel held influence across the Kingdom, even more so than his outranking members. The Flurry of Dancing Flames was a powerful beast of a man, worthy of the kind of respect you got for being ruthless.

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><p>"Rox."<p>

Roxas looked up from the rapidly cooling coffee, the mug clenched tightly in his hands. He hadn't even noticed when Riku had entered the kitchen. It was late; Roxas had sat down with his usual mug of coffee expecting Sora to have fallen asleep in Riku's arms, exhausted from his last day with his twin brother.

Instead, Riku was standing in the door way, hair tussled and dressed in his pajama pants with no shirt. He was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest with a sadly knowing look on his pretty face.

Roxas motioned for him to sit, which Riku did silently. Folding his hands, Riku rested his chin on them as he leveled a stare at Roxas, which the blond avoided by staring into his cold coffee. As if the answer to the universe resided within. Did it? …Damn.

"You're leaving tomorrow then?" Riku asked, tilting his head to the side in that innocently inquisitive way he had. Roxas simply nodded.

"You'll take care of Sora, won't you?" Roxas asked, looking up from his coffee with a begging expression. He knew that never in his life would Riku let harm come to Sora, but verbal confirmation could only offer the blond twin much needed reassurance.

"I will." Riku said in the loud, affirmative voice he normally spoke with. Roxas wouldn't have accepted the answer any other way.

Silence reigned for a few more moments.

"Tell me about Organization XIII." Roxas said quietly.

Riku looked up to see Roxas nervously tracing his finger around the mouth of his mug. "What? Does it look like I'm wearing a black coat?"

"You're going into the military with all honors and a major in political history and political studies." Roxas offered, pushing his mug of coffee off to the side of the table to fold his hands in front of him. "What have you got?"

Riku took a moment to gather his thoughts before he stood from the table. Roxas watched the silverette leave the room and patiently counted the ticking seconds until his timely return. Riku once again seated himself across Roxas, this time with a thick blue book in his hands. Laying it flat on the table with a sigh, Riku hesitantly slid it across the table to the blond.

Roxas reached and brought the book in front of him, flipping it over a few times in his hand. Nothing in particular special but the title written in black on the cover.

_The Organization of Organization XIII, a look at the forming and upkeep _

Roxas set the book back down on the table with a snort. "You're kidding, right?" He looked at the book again as if he honestly didn't believe it existed. "You've gotta be fucking with me."

"Sorry bud, I only fuck Sora," Was Riku's not so situation appropriate response. Quickly, the silverette covered his mistake before Roxas chucked the book back at his face; "Look, in my college class we spent a whole month studying Organization XIII. This book is actually really helpful, trust me."

"I don't have time to read-" Roxas looked at the clock over the sink "Holy fuck, I haven't got five hours to read some college 300 page textbook!"

"Look, it's really helpful." Riku offered again. "It's the best I've got."

"I don't have time to read this! I don't suppose you could do something like summarize it!" Roxas snapped, picking up the book only to slam it onto the tabletop, not caring if he woke Sora or not.

"Stop being a bitch Roxas! I'm just trying to fucking help!"

"I wouldn't be in this if it weren't for Sora!"

Roxas immediately slapped a hand over his mouth, biting his tongue at the same time. Riku was staring back at him with an equally horrified expression, eyes wide and shocked.

Never, ever. Not since the day their parents died, did Roxas once regret Sora.

"That was wrong of me." Roxas murmured, face down and eyes watering. "That was very, very wrong."

"No, you're right. It's unfair you're in this situation." Riku sighed, running both his hands through his long hair with a sigh of exasperation. After a few guilt ridden seconds; "I'm sorry."

"Don't tell Sora..."

"He already blames himself." Riku deadpanned. There was an awkward, pained silence as the seconds loudly ticked by on the small clocked in the kitchen.

Looking up, Roxas placed his elbow on the table, one hand supporting his chin as he looked off to the side of the kitchen with fake nonchalance. "I put sleeping pills on his bedtime milk. He should sleep through tomorrow morning. I didn't want him doing something stupid when I try to leave tomorrow. We've already said our goodbyes."

"I left them on your nightstand for a reason." Riku shrugged, copying Roxas' faked vibe of laid back air. "You know he'll never stop harassing Axel till he gets you back."

"Yeah, I know." Roxas sighed. "And he's going to get himself killed doing that. That's why I need to ask you this."

Riku's ears perked up as he turned to face Roxas across the table again.

"I want you to take Sora to Hollow Bastion with you." Roxas felt like a lump of clay had settled in his throat. "I've made arrangements to sell this house. You and Sora are already set to receive the profit." As an afterthought, "I won't be needing it where I'm going."

Roxas needed Sora to get out of this town where he'd be less tempted to cause trouble with Axel. Sora couldn't survive on his own; not without both his boyfriend and twin brother. Roxas needed him away, safe, with someone he trusted away. Away from Roxas and the people he would soon be involved with.

"I'm sure Axel will let me visit Sora!" Roxas quickly said, brightening at the thought. "It's not like I'm dieing, I'll see you guys again! Maybe a lot!" A pause. "Will you take him with you?"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence until Riku spoke. "Organization XIII works on a kingdom-wide scale."

Roxas took the subject change as an unspoken yes.

"Generally, they operate on legal levels, trading businesses, just businesses in general. Hell, they even work a kingdom wide charity for sick, orphaned children."

Roxas snorted at the though of Axel maniacally flying a Santa Sleigh through the skies loaded with flaming presents.

"What you're going to be seeing is the more illegal part of it all. They do weapons smuggling mostly, extortion, hell, even assassination if they get paid enough. They have plenty of buyers and partners all around the kingdom in different worlds. Mostly they blackmail world leaders to wrap them around their fingers and coerce them into owing 'favors'. Even though everyone knows what's going on, there's really no legal proof. They're smart that way."

Roxas generally imagined Axel as anything but smart. Sometimes he imagined him on fire when the redhead's stalking really got on his nerves.

"Organization XIII is supposedly headed by a man named Xemnas. Their structure is generally built in a monarchy fashion. There Xemnas at the top, he's the Superior. Then there are the eleven sub-leaders beneath him. Axel being the 8th. Generally, the higher ranking members order the lower ranking members around, but my studies were sketchy on that."

"Wait-" Roxas cut in. "Why is it Organization XIII if there are only twelve current members?"

"Well," Riku took a moment to recall his afternoon classes. "At the moment, there are only twelve publicly recognized members. Whether there's actually a thirteenth is uncertain. Hell, everything I learned at college about the organization is general speculation. They play everything close to the vest."

Roxas felt his stomach dropping bit by bit as the conversation went on.

"Originally, the group was founded by a man named Ansem The Wise, his past is pretty sketchy and no ones really sure about him. It's generally accepted that he was once a scholar. He founded the group with his twelve apprentices and from there the less important followers."

"Where do their names come from?" Roxas asked. "Nobodies and Heartless?"

"I have no idea." Rik admitted with a sigh. "No one does. Outside of the Organization, that is. Like I said, they protect their secrets better than a dodge ball player protects his junk."

"Riku!"

"I digress. The only way to join is to be invited by an already existing member. If you want to become a Heartless, it had to be approved by the Nobody who heads the squad. After that they rise in the ranks. Generally, to become one of the thirteen Nobodies, you have to be specially invited by one of the existing thirteen members then have it approved by the Superior. And obviously, the only way out is to retire under close supervision, or be killed."

"Great." Roxas mumbled, letting his forehead fall against the tabletop, his hands clasped over his head like he was hiding from something.

"Now you, as a consort," Riku began tenderly. "Generally you'll just do as Axel tells you. I assume once you're in..." Riku bit his lip, trying to find a better way to phrase this and came up with nothing but the harsh truth; "You're in forever."

There was another long silence. Riku tried to discern if Roxas was crying or simply sleeping on the table. The silverette jumped slightly when Roxas sat up quickly, wiping at damp eyes. "What the fuck have I gotten myself into?" The blond asked with a forced chuckle, trying to make light of his tears.

Riku stood from the table, his bare feet slapping against the tiled floor as he came to stand next to Roxas. Pulling around another chair, Riku took a seat next to Roxas, and without a second thought, wrapped the quaking blond in his arms.

Roxas took comfort in the silent embrace; he knew he'd never feel another like it for the rest of his life. The only embrace he'd ever feel again was that of Axel's, which he could only fathom as cold and rough in contrast to Riku at the moment. For a few seconds, Roxas hugged Riku back, allowing himself to feel safe in the arms of his twin's boyfriend, one of his good, good friends, before he stood again, wiping his eyes as Riku stood with him.

"You'll be okay out there." Riku reached out to wipe a stray tear from Roxas' cheek. "You little spit fire."

Roxas let a small chuckle escape his lips.

"Here, you can take this can't you?" Riku patted the book on the table beside them. "Axel said you could bring stuff from home, right?"

"He said he'd trust my judgment in knowing what to bring and what not." Roxas replied with a shrug, his voice dry and cracked as he spoke.

"Some reading for on the can." Riku offered as an explanation.

Again, the room descended into an uncomfortable silence. It had become a habit in the last few days. The tense vibe was palpable in the air.

"You'll watch after Sora?" Roxas asked for the third time that night, his voice even weaker than the last two times he'd asked.

"You know he won't stop coming after you." Riku murmured quietly, both boys thinking of the sleeping brunette in the room above.

"I know."

"Neither will I." Riku said, his voice definitive and strong. "Never."

Roxas didn't seem to register what Riku had said for a moment. After it clicked, his expression was stubborn. "No. You look after my brother."

"And I'll look after mine."

"What?" Roxas asked, quirking an eyebrow as if Riku was an idiot.

Riku reached into his baggy pants pocket, producing a velvet purple box. Opening it hesitantly, as if he was unsure if the contents would still be inside, Riku handed the open box to Roxas to examine.

Roxas looked at the gold wedding band in the small box. He squinted at the inscription on the inside of the gold, the letters traced flawlessly and fancifully. Nothing short of Riku's typical grand romantic gestures.

_to sora with my heart body and soul_

Roxas spent the rest of the night crying in his brother-in-laws arms, unable to mask the fear, pain and sorrow.

* * *

><p>AN: Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks to everyone who has already taken the time to review, it really helps to know what people think of the direction of the story!<p>

Ezellia


	3. Crossing The Threshold

AN: Yay! Another chapter up and running! I'm a little proud of myself...

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><p>Roxas had never cried so much in his life.<p>

That is to say, he'd teared up when they'd bound his wrists and thrown him onto the mattress. Fuck part time all night jobs, Roxas had thought to himself when he'd willed away the tears of hopelessness and despair with anger and resentment.

There were at least three men, probably more somewhere off in the apartment. But right now all Roxas saw was half his face shoved into a dirty, stained mattress with a sour smell that made him want to vomit. Around him was an equally disgusting apartment with ratty, falling apart furniture. There were beer cans and cigarette butts all over the floor along with some illicit drugs.

Some guy was very openly jacking off to some homosexual non-con porno on the old, fuzzy television, completely unfazed by his two friends entering the room with a struggling teenage boy.

Fuck this town, Roxas thought to himself. Whatever hatred and resentment and general negative emotions he could come up with, the blond focused it all into a single glare at the man now eyeing him while toying with the zipper on his pants. Good lord, this day sucked. First burnt toast for breakfast, now possible gang rape at the hands of three dirty, drunken men.

Woo fuckin' hoo, right?

While the other two men who weren't occupied with their genitalia walked out of view of the blond, Roxas rolled onto his side to better observe the room. His hands were bound behind his back with a leather belt and his mouth covered with a long dishcloth whose taste he'd rather not think about. He'd been thrown on a mattress in the corner of a small two, maybe three room apartment at best. Obviously to be raped.

No point in lying to himself, right?

It was embarrassing how easily these three much larger men had just picked Roxas up off the street outside their apartment and brought him inside, tying and gagging him along the way. Roxas tried to stay hopeful about his escape though.

There was no hope of Sora calling the Police when he didn't come home that night; after much begging and pleading and bitching, Roxas had finally permitted his twin to spend the weekend at his boyfriend Riku's house in Hollow Bastion. Sora was the one who needed watching! Sora was the rapeable one, not Roxas!

Said blond was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as he felt the mattress sink behind him, indicating a second body on the smelly thing. It was when a strong hand was splayed on his back and forced him onto his stomach that he started panicking.

And by panicking, Roxas started flailing like a suffocating fish. Which didn't go over well when it was three against one.

Roxas would rather not think about their age. Thankfully, or not thankfully, the hand pulling down the neck of his t shirt and kissing the back of his neck was distracting enough.

Blind to everything but an old mattress, Roxas could feel four hands holding him down, all pressing on his shoulder of feet, and another body braced above him, kissing his back.

"MMMMMPPPHHHH!" Roxas was screaming now, kicking and screaming and just over all going into fight or flight mode, right now being a mix of both. But just as easily as they'd grabbed him, three men were holding him down, tugging at his shirt while a single hand snaked beneath his towards his pants zipper.

Roxas' continued struggles only resulted in hand shaped bruises on his shoulders and legs as well as cuts into his wrists from the leather belt he so desperately pulled against. This couldn't possibly be the way the sixteen year old was meant to lose his virginity? Roxas may not be a candlelight and rose bouquet romantic, but he'd been hoping for his first time to be something in between candlelight dinner and three man gang rape on the romantic spectrum.

Feeling two hands snaking up the back of his shirt and the third successfully pull down the zipper on the front of his pants and grab his manhood through his boxers kind of made Roxas wish for candles and roses right now.

Instead, Roxas started kicking out with renewed vigor and rage. Which got him nowhere; the lips on his back had pulled up his t shirt and were traveling the pale, white back. The hand down the front of his pants had begun tugging and pulling carelessly, causing Roxas to whine loudly in pain. It seemed the third one was divesting Roxas of his shoes and socks, tugging tentatively at his jeans, pulling them only a few inches down his waist.

After much struggling, Roxas had found his gag to loosen, even slip past his lips to his chin. With as much breath as he could take in one breath, the blond screamed.

Screamed out of fear, out of anger, frustration, and the thought of three men gang raping him all at once.

"STOP! PLEASE STOP!"

Roxas' pleas were met with nothing more than a hand strike across his cheek, burning and leaving a bright red hand print. But it did the job, forcing Roxas into a dazed silence as the hands continued moving over his body. The blond's eyes were frozen in wide shock, his body unresponsive to a slow going mind.

What was about to happen just couldn't register in the blond's mind.

Roxas felt his pants being pulled completely from his body.

And suddenly, three heavy bodies were lifted from his with simple ease. There was screaming and yelling, and the sound of knuckles knocking teeth, but Roxas couldn't bring himself to look up. He could only try to bury his face deeper into the mattress and curl up on himself the best way he could.

There was silence for a few minutes; shuffling and muffled yelling. The dragging of unconscious or even lifeless bodies. A few silent moments passed before Roxas felt a cold knife tracing up and down his arm, raising goose bumps. He lay there and trembled, not daring to flinch away from the blade as it was touched lightly up and down his upper arm, so lightly it tickled. There was only a slight dip in the mattress from whenever the person atop it moved, otherwise silence reigned over anything else.

Roxas was scared enough to cry at this point. As seconds ticked by, the blond expected each to be his last, the end finally brought about by sharp steel against his neck. But it never came.

Instead, the blade jumped to his jaw, slipping beneath the cloth around his mouth to slice it away in a graceful ease that made Roxas' spine stiff.

"Hello, lovely."

Roxas would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit more scared now than he'd been five minutes ago.

A strong hand gripped Roxas' chin, and the blond was flipped over onto his back, his eyes opening in shock to take in the sight of the redhead, towering over him on the mattress. Those green eyes held a smirk of their own yet they were no match for the smile on Axel's pale red lips.

"I said 'hello', lovely." Axel repeated, this time a bit more firm, emerald eyes sweeping over the blond's face and overall status. He seemed pleased that there was nothing out of place other than the blonde's clothes. "Seems like you're in a bit of a situation here." He said, gently turning Roxas' chin this way and that to inspect the pretty face.

When Roxas refused to answer, only stare with wide, deer in headlights eyes, Axel sighed and slapped his knees, standing up from the mattress to pace the room. "You always complain about being followed by my Assassins, but when it really comes down to it," He gave Roxas a once-over look, his point obvious.

"Just cut me loose." Roxas said, his voice stronger than he'd predicted. To emphasis his point, he turned slightly away from Axel, baring his red wrists, already scarred with rope burn and blood. Axel sighed and Roxas waited as the redhead knelt down on the mattress beside him. With the same quick, precise cuts of the blade Roxas was free again. With a sigh of relief, he rolled his shoulders and rubbed lightly at his wrists. "Ow…" The blond murmured under his breath as his fingers traveled over a deep cut in his skin from the pulling on the ropes.

"Here, let me." Axel said, reaching out to grip the blond's wrists. With a sudden rush of panic and less than working brain, Roxas immediately fumbled backwards, accidentally kicking Axel is his scramble.

"NO!"

With wide, blue eyes, Roxas was staring back at Axel, clutching his hands to his chest and a thudding heart. Axel was watching him with surprised eyes that eventually gave way to a flaming anger in those emerald gems.

"You know, Roxas." Axel said with feral instinct dripping from his suddenly fang like teeth. "I just saved your ass." On his hands and knees, Axel crawled closer to Roxas, who scooted back in turn until he ran into the wall. "I'd rather not risk it again." Axel leaned in a bit closer to Roxas, his eyes slowly slipping closed as their lips came within centimeters. "Maybe I should just take your virginity right here…"

Roxas pushed. Scratch that, he shoved with all his animalistic, fight or flight, adrenaline powered might. Axel barely moved as Roxas tried to slip past him. The redhead reacted swiftly; his hand snapped out, the cold black leather gripping Roxas by the back of his shirt and slamming him painfully into the ground. As Roxas lay dazed on the ground, he didn't register Axel climbing on top of him until it was too late.

"Axel! Axel, stop!" Roxas screeched. Even if he knew no one would come.

The redhead ignored him and with a grunt, grabbed both the thin, reddened wrists in one hand, slamming them to the ground. Axel moved to cover the much smaller blond with his long body, keeping Roxas against the ground.

"Axel!"

"Shush, lovely."

* * *

><p>"ROXAS!"<p>

Riku was suddenly shaking the blond; trying to wake him from whatever nightmare gripped him so as the blond cried and flailed helplessly in his sleep. It wasn't the first time Riku had found Roxas having nightmares like this. He simply never asked because the answer hung there in the air with painful obviousness. Sora couldn't even bring himself to ask. They just took turns waking Roxas in the dead of night, bringing him back to a slightly safer, warmer reality.

"Roxas, it's okay!" Riku exclaimed again, shaking the blond a bit more violently until he seemed to snap out of his trance. "Roxas, it's okay, you're home." The silverette repeated, this time a bit more caring and loving.

Azure eyes finally rolling back around to reality, Roxas found himself covered in a thin shine of cold sweat. The blankets upon his bed were ruffled and tangled about his limbs. They must have been the illusionary arms that gripped him so tight. The same nightmare as always.

"It's 7:30." Riku said, motioning to the sun shining through Roxas' bedroom window. The blond gave no response, just continued staring blankly into an empty space void of answers his eyes seemed to be searching. When he was met with more silence, Riku silently excused himself from the room downstairs.

Slowly coming back to reality, Roxas pounded a fist against his forehead, eyes squeezed shut as if he could literally knock the memory and the nightmare from his head. He'd done it countless times on countless mornings. It never worked, unfortunately.

The dream always ended like that; with someone waking Roxas up in the nick of time. Roxas wasn't sure what had actually happened after that. He didn't remember it well; he may not have lost consciousness till a little while later, but everything leading up to it was blacked out and hazy in his memory. He woke up the next morning alone in his own bed and never said anything to Sora.

Never dared to confront Axel about what happened. He'd gone down to the free clinic a week later and got himself checked out. Axel either used a condom or was, surprisingly, clean of STDS.

It was already 7:30, Roxas realized with a slow but growing panic. He suddenly felt a bit suffocated and claustrophobic as the world closed in around him; he was out of time. Of course, Roxas being Roxas, he'd pre-packed his things; they were all set by the front door in a single suitcase and duffel bag.

Roxas had taken the liberty of packing a few of Sora's things as well. The arrangements had been made overnight for him to move into Riku's crowded Hollow Bastion apartment. It was away from Axel, but not too far away that the Nobody's promise of protection wouldn't still apply. Roxas just wanted his twin to stay out of the trouble he was certain to get into in his name.

Axel had also promised that he could visit Sora every few weeks. At the redhead's discretion, of course.

Fifteen minutes later, Roxas was dressed. As if hypnotized, Roxas found himself going through his daily routine; showering, dressing, and going downstairs for breakfast. He dully noted Riku standing silently by the front window, his careful eyes on the street as he hid himself behind the semi-closed curtain.

Roxas just shook his head with a surprising smile and took out a box of cereal. Axel always crept up on you. No matter what way you were looking, he knew. And he'd crawl right up behind you.

After five minutes of staring at soggy cereal Roxas gave up on choking down food. And no matter what Riku thought, Roxas knew Axel was punctual. He'd pull up at eight a.m. He'd wait around the corner of the street and drive at the perfect speed so that the front tires pulled in right at 7:59.59.

Maybe Axel has an OCD, Roxas wondered to himself as he padded silently up the stairs to the bedrooms again.

* * *

><p>Roxas had been facing the day with an otherworldly detachment. Much like the past three days, excluding last night, the blonde's mind seemed to be above and beyond the problems around him. He'd woken up in a cold sweat, but now his face was merely passive and calm. Like a man who'd accepted his fate. Which, honestly, was what Roxas had done last night in his flood of tears.<p>

But now, staring at Sora's sweet, drug induced sleeping face, Roxas found himself crashing down to Earth again.

His sweet, sweet brother.

Little Sora.

Dropping gently onto the mattress, Roxas climbed onto the creaky bed and gently snuggled up against his brother's sleeping form. Incest be damned, the blond shyly inhaled his brothers scent and buried his face in his brother's sleeping back, his cheeks rubbing the soft cotton shirt.

Oh, Sora.

* * *

><p>At 8 a.m., Axel pulled up along the street outside Roxas' house. He was in his black stretch limousine; normally he traveled in a more compact and flashy red sports car, but today he thought he'd accommodate his blond with a bit more space. As promised, Roxas was waiting in the driveway, a suitcase by his feet and a duffel bag slung over a thin shoulder. He'd asked Riku to wait inside the house. Please.<p>

It was a beautiful day really. Roxas admired the slow going clouds and lazily shining sun with envy of their free life. The birds were singing a sweet song, and all the neighbors who had seconds ago been enjoying the summer sun had disappeared into their houses with the curtains drawn tight.

After commanding his assassins to wait in the car, Axel pushed open the door to the limo, exiting in a smooth, liquid grand gesture. He realized hundreds of sets of eyes watched him intently from the shadows around him as he strolled his way along the street to the edge of Roxas' driveway. Though he didn't dare step from the sidewalk to the driveway.

There was silence for a few moments as Roxas watched Axel, who returned the nonchalantly interested gaze.

"What, you're not gonna carry my bags?" Roxas asked with fierce sarcasm, jutting out his hip to place a sassy hand upon it with a piercing look at Axel.

Axel beamed.

"I'll have my Assassin get it." Axel said, snapping his fingers. In a continuously practiced and precise formation, two Assassins exited the limousine from the front driver's seat. Riku tensed and fought the urge to punch them both out as they ran up silently and took Roxas' luggage, scurrying back with it to the trunk of the limousine. Axel watched approvingly as they placed it gingerly in the trunk and quickly returned to the front of the car, slamming the doors behind them.

There were a few awkward moments of silence. Roxas didn't have the courage to move from his stubborn stance and Axel only waited patiently for his blond.

After what seemed like hours, Axel finally extended a hand to Roxas. "Coming?" He asked with a sweet, harmless smile. As if he was calling a new puppy.

"Come and get me." Roxas spat, immediately regretting the words the second they were out of his spit fuck little mouth. But he didn't dare show his fear. At least, he didn't dare mean to.

"Oh no." Axel said with a nonchalant smile, not dropping his open hand. "I will not force you Roxas." Axel motioned down to the line between the sidewalk and Roxas' driveway. "I will not pass this line."

Roxas quirked an eyebrow.

"I'll wait for you to come to me." Axel said again, his hand still out. "I will not force you. You will come to me willingly."

Roxas glared.

"Consider it a gift. The last chance at free will of your life."

* * *

><p>AN: THIS WAS LIKE PULLING MY OWN TEETH WITH A FORK. HOW HORRID. But no, I love all my abominations (writings) equally. Although this could and should have been much better. I'll be sure to alert you to when I rewrite it.<p>

Please read and review, it makes it all worth it.

Ezellia


	4. Welcome Home, Icarus

AN: Well, here we go! Another chapter! This one's a long one.

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><p>Naminé sits quietly, the sound of a pencil scratching against white paper the only sound to reverberate the sparsely furnished room. All white. She sits facing away from the large window that makes up an entire wall of her chamber. Today she refuses to even look at it when yesterday she was plastered to the glass, pressing her perfect skin against the cold, glass panes.<p>

"Nice day out." Marluxia comments to no one in particular.

"Hmm." Naminé replies wordlessly, her eyes not once leaving the paper and the delicate curves she outlined in pencil. She can hear Marluxia's black boots tapping the ground as he traverses the room, pretending to be interested in the posted drawings on the walls as he makes his way to her place in the center at her white chair.

"You're awfully quiet today." He comments, moving to peer over the thin blonde's shoulder. Her pictures look like nothing to him. Nothing but hills and blobs, if you ask Marluxia. He had an appreciation for the beauty in life, but that pertained to women and the occasional flower, not shaky pencil scribblings.

"I find nothing worth saying." Naminé replies curtly. At least, not to you, she thinks quietly to herself, focusing even more intently on the notepad in her lap.

She can feel his breath on the back of her neck, her hair swept over one shoulder. She can feel the heat of his breath and imagine him licking his lips. She doesn't even flinch when he leans in to sniff her hair, daring to bury his nose in the blond locks as he hands come to rest on her shoulders.

"Strawberries." He comments cheerily, continuing to make loud sniffs next to the blonde's ear. When she doesn't reply, he nuzzles her ear to get a reaction.

Naminé inwardly curses herself for flinching away from Marluxia's advances, her head twitching away from his persistent nose. "Don't you have to leave for Atlantis soon?" She quips, trying with all her heart to keep the tremors in her voice under wraps. She can feel him looming behind her and she doesn't dare try to get away.

"Mmm, eventually." Marluxia lazily replies. With a smirk in his voice, he rests his chin on Naminé's left shoulder. Over her right, Naminé feels a gloved hand snaking towards her breast, giving it an experimental squeeze.

Naminé bites her lip hard enough to draw blood as her entire body tenses. But she otherwise does nothing as Marluxia nudges aside the hem off her dress and slips beneath the thin white fabric and her white bra. Naminé can picture his smirk in her head and she closes her eyes and clenches her fists, curling in on herself ever so slightly as the hand continues to grope.

Go away. Go away, please.

"I'll miss you while I'm in Atlantis…" Marluxia breaths into her ear, his hand suddenly gripping with brushing force enough to make Naminé squeak in a pained shock.

"Marluxia…" Naminé whimpers quietly, her hands still clenched in her lap and her lip till between her teeth. "Marluxia, you're hurting me!"

He replies with an animalistic grunt and begins squeezing harder, his breath getting deeper and ragged. Naminé hears the sound of a zipper that is not hers and suddenly Marluxia's free hand is unaccounted for.

Hurry, hurry, hurry. Naminé thinks to herself, squeezing her eyes shut and digging her fingernails into her palms as he squeezes harder, obviously looking for a pained reaction. Naminé couldn't help but indulge him as she whined again in pain.

Help me. Anyone. Please.

"Marluxia." A cool voice cuts into the lone sound of ragged breathing, holding the slightest hint of anger, disgust, and shock.

The hands are gone so fast Naminé's head spins to keep up with what's happening. Marluxia is gone from behind her, and the only sound I nthe silent room is that of a zipper.

"Do you need something?" Marluxia questions the intruder in his happiest tone, as if nothing just happened and his raging erection wasn't tenting so obviously against his leather pants. "I didn't hear you come in, Zex."

Naminé breaths a sigh of relief, but doesn't dare to turn towards the door or Marluxia. She knows she's saved when Zexion speaks again; "You'll address me as Zexion, and nothing else, Number Eleven."

"Of course." Marluxia replies with thinly veiled contempt beneath a tight smile. "Number Six. How may I be of service?"

"You do not have permission to be in this room."

"I only came to say farewell to Naminé before my departure." Naminé can feel his disgusting smile aimed towards the back of her head before he turns back to Zexion. "I'm leaving in only an hour."

"I suggest you take your job seriously." Zexion more than suggests, "The Organization has much to gain from a port city like Atlantis."

"Yes, yes," Marluxia _drôles_, obviously uninterested. "No need to lecture me."

"I have business with Naminé," Zexion brushed a lilac lock of hair from his eyes as he steps into the room and away from the door. "If you'll excuse us. I'm sure you still have preparations to handle."

"Took care of them all this morning." Marluxia waves the matter away like it's nothing, and for a moment Naminé feels fear returning to the pit of her stomach.

"Then allow me to find some for you." Zexion snaps his finger, and his attendant, a low ranking Heartless, jumped to his side, obediently quiet till this moment. "Find Saïx. He would surely like a word with Marluxia before his departure." The Heartless moved to leave, but Zexion was quick to grab his arm. "Oh, and please inform him of Number Eleven's unnecessary presence in Naminé's quarters."

With a wave of his hand, the Heartless scurried down the stairs, leaving the three alone in the tense silence. After a few moments, Zexion is the first to speak, unemotional as before. "You better be going then." He gestures to the door.

Marluxia only chuckles lightly, stretching folding his hands behind his head as he glides merrily from the room. As he leaves the room, Marluxia pauses outside the door, his back to Zexion.

"You'd take care to remember my title as the Graceful _Assassin_," Marluxia all but spits in pure venom, "dear brother in arms…"

"And you'd care to remember that the Schemer is always one step ahead." Zexion replies, clearly unfazed and uncaring.

The heavy oak doors close behind Marluxia's retreating form, stomping in indignation down several flights of stairs. Naminé remains seated, her head down and her chest throbbing.

Zexion crosses the room from the door to the white dining table in the middle. He sets down a large tome from the library among the array of pencils and notepads. "I suggest you not bed that one. It won't do you any good."

"I held no intention!" Naminé snaps indignantly, rising from her chair. Her pencil and notepad drop to the floor with a clatter, uncared for as the two lock gazes.

"You think the fox would free the chicken from its coop?" Zexion snorts, folding his arms across his black leathered chest.

"Only if his snout didn't fit through the bars." Naminé replies carefully.

A tense moment of silence passes between the two. "How often?" Zexion finally inquires, his voice even.

Naminé bites her already bleeding lip and ponders a moment. "Once or twice a week." She finally admits, a thick coating of shame dripping from her quiet words.

"Have you two…?"

"No!" Naminé replies without a moment's hesitation, "Never!"

Zexion gives the blonde a believing once over, nodding his head gently in her direction. Naminé looks down at herself and shakily adjusts her dress strap, returning it over her shoulder as Zexion returns to the matter at hand.

"I need a section of this text translated." He gently pushes the old tome across the table towards the blonde.

"What language?" Naminé replies, taking it in her small hands and leafing it open to the indicated page.

"Latin to English."

Naminé heaves a light sigh. Turning, she bends over to pick up her fallen notepad. "I'll have it down by tonight." She says, setting it gingerly down on the tabletop. When she looks up, Zexion is no longer at the table, but the window.

Naminé moves quietly to join the cross armed Nobody in watching the gate below. A black limousine was pulling into the gates after being checked by the Heartless Gatekeepers.

"Axel's returned." Zexion observes lightly.

"I wasn't aware he'd been assigned."

"No, he's on leave for the day. He went to Twilight Town to pick up his new pet."

Naminé's head snapped up, her eyes wide. "He's bringing Roxas here?"

"You weren't aware?"

"No…" Naminé reached out, pressing her hands against the thick window pane almost longingly. She watched the limousine in silence as it pulled up to the main doors. Axel and his Assassins quickly stepped out of the car, and the lower Heartless were even quicker to take their bags from the trunk. With a smirk to be seen from miles away, Axel opened the passenger side door and a hunched over blond stepped out.

"It seems he's staying indefinitely." Zexion stepped away from the window, making his way towards the door with a sweep of his cloak. "And I thought you'd be excited for companionship."

Naminé remained pressed against the window, even as Axel and Roxas disappeared into the mansion, she continued to stare at the grounds before her.

"I'll have your dinner sent up in an hour." Zexion says as his goodbye when he receives no answer. He waits another moments of a veiled comment of sarcasm from Naminé and his slightly surprised when he receives none. He gives her a pensive look before stepping out, the heavy oak doors closing behind him.

"I wouldn't wish this fate upon anyone…"

The click of the lock echoes in the room louder than usual.

* * *

><p>"You've gotta be shittin' me." Roxas quips. As much as the blond considered himself adult, he wasn't above admitting to himself that he was pouting when he none to gently shrugged away Axel's guiding arm around his shoulders as they ascended the steps to the mansion.<p>

Unperturbed by the rejection, Axel shoved his hands nonchalantly in his black jacket pockets, casting his blonde a sideways smile. "The Old Mansion has been the base of our operations for years Roxy. Everyone in Twilight Town knows that."

"Yeah, whatever." Roxas mumbles, his arms crossed and his head down. He tried his best not to acknowledge Axel. Bitch fit be damned.

The foyer was gigantic and otherwise plain. Roxas assumed that beyond the innumerable doors and up the many staircases there was plenty of business going on.

"You look like a deer caught in headlights, lovely."

The foyer was swarming with Heartless, some as maids, some carrying boxes and books, and some just milling listlessly about, waiting for a higher ranking member to tell them what to do. Axel seemed to be just the person as he snapped his fingers in the direction of two Heartless. They jumped like eager puppies and came scurrying over.

Roxas tried to imagine them with ears and lolling tongues, just to get shits and giggles out of the situation.

"Bring the bags up to the room adjoining mine," Axel instructed. "Don't you fucking enter, got it? Give it to the Assassins outside the room, they'll handle it."

As you wish.

"Well you really got the damn world on a silver platter." Roxas grumbled beneath his breath, still straining his neck to take in the entire view of the foyer. The grand staircases, the millions of doors; everything.

"Did you say something, pet?" Axel asked sweetly, gently snaking an arm around the blonde's waist top tug him close. This time, surrounded by so many enemies, Roxas didn't dare pull away, and the redhead smiled to himself at that.

"I get my own room?" Roxas asked timidly, finally turning to address Axel for the first time since their departure from his house.

"We'll discuss that later." Axel replies, looking around the large foyer in a preoccupied fashion. Standing on his already tall enough tippy toes, Axel put a hand against his forehead as he scanned the crowned. He huffed when he couldn't find what he was looking for. "Where the hell—"

"Ak-u-ser-u!"

"Dem! Zexion!"

Before Roxas realized what was going on, a bouncing teen with- good lord what is that style- sandy blond hair came running through the crowd of Heartless towards Axel. And following behind him at a much slower, calmer pace was a smaller man with lilac hair.

Roxas noted the uniform. Fellow Nobodies.

The one named Demyx turned to Roxas with a bright, chipmunk smile and shining blue eyes. Roxas himself struggled not to shrink away behind Axel at the scrutinizing blonde with a friendly smile. And behind him, the silent one with the giant book. By now, Roxas didn't even register the few Heartless that followed behind the two Nobodies, waiting for Zexion to demand a cup of black coffee or for Demyx to cry holy shit, help me catch that squirrel!

"So." Suddenly, the lilac haired one was speaking, even stepping forward to Roxas a disapproving look. "This is Roxas Strife."

"Pet," Axel cut in before Roxas could say something offensive about Zexion's hair because Roxas was just that bitchy right now, "Say hello to Demyx and Zexion, won't you?"

Barely resisting the urge to grab hold of Axel's testicles and twist, Roxas instead held his chin high and gave them a look of strong denial. "Hello." He ground out through clenched teeth.

"My name's Demyx." The sandy blonde beamed, holding out an ungloved hand. "Number Nine, Melodious Nocturne."

Seems harmless enough, Roxas thought to himself, shaking the blonde's enthusiastic hand.

"Zexion. Number Six, The Cloaked Schemer." This one didn't bother offering a hand, which Roxas was more than fine with.

"Roxas Strife." Roxas introduced himself. "Age eighteen, Really Bitchy."

Demyx almost pissed himself laughing and Zexion only shook his head unhappily. Axel, just as Roxas suspected, only gave the blonde a happy squeeze. "That's my Roxy." He whispered quietly to Roxas.

Who the fuck said I belonged to you?

"I need a favor." Axel said, taking his arm from Roxas' waist to place on his hip. He turned to Demyx in particular. Roxas had never known Axel to willingly give up possession of anything he even remotely wanted. "Can you show Roxas to my room?"

"You're not coming?" Roxas cut in before Demyx could reply, whirling on the redhead. He was just as shocked to hear himself sounding as worried as he was, but in this damned sea of enemies and strangers, Axel was a welcome lesser evil.

"I'm sorry lovely," Axel seemed just as disappointed as Roxas, honestly. "But I have to be getting to a meeting. I'll be around later tonight, I promise." He ruffled the blonde's hair almost affectionately.

Roxas held his tongue. He'd be damned if he begged Axel of all people for help. Damned straight to a fiery hell.

"Sure!" Demyx chirped, forgotten for a moment before he grabbed Roxas' wrist and already began dragging him down the hall. "C'mon, Roxy!"

Axel waited a moment to watch Demyx drag Roxas to the nearest staircase, the lesser Heartless that crowded it smartly moving out of the way and respectfully bowing their heads. He was content that Demyx would take good care of his pet. The redhead was about to turn and leave in the opposite direction towards the meeting room, when a gentle hand on his arm stopped him.

"You're not bringing him yourself?" Zexion asked curiously.

Axel shrugged and grinned like the cat that ate the canary. And got away with it. "I don't want to overwhelm him. Let him settle into his surroundings."

"Axel, this isn't a joke." Zexion hissed quietly, mindful of the Heartless that moved fluidly around them, giving plenty of space but remaining in earshot. "We're as much a danger to Roxas as he is to us.

"Don't worry, I'm aware." Axel replied, his voice just as quiet and suddenly serious. "I'm taking the necessary precautions."

"I don't think you are, Axel. Don't be stupid about this if you want the boy to last the week."

"I'll handle him, Zexion. He's not stupid and neither am I." Axel replied patiently. He'd had this conversation a million times over to himself in his own head, but he'd be damned if he was going to let Zexion ruin a perfectly good day. "I have to get going, check on those two, would you?"

Zexion grudgingly nodded, making sure to give Axel a pointed glare.

"Oh, and take this." Axel reached out, dropping a silver key into Zemyx's outstretched palm. As the Schemer watched his close friend retreating from sight through one of the many doors to a conference room he sighed to himself and headed up the stairs.

This is dangerous, Axel.

* * *

><p>Demyx had pulled Roxas up a million stairs, through at least a hundred doors, and finally down the billionth corridor. The blonde's shorter than average legs were starting to ache when finally, Demyx rounded the corner to a hallway that was surprisingly devoid of Heartless.<p>

A hallway with thirteen doors.

"These are the bedrooms." Demyx explained cheerily, surprisingly less secretive than Roxas had expected. "There's one for all of us, but most of them are empty. And some of us tend to stay here more than anywhere else, so some rooms have more stuff, but I dunno, I figure that's all personal preference." Demyx dropped Roxas' hand -finally- and started walking down the hallway, the blond following close behind.

"Which one is Axel's?" Roxas asked quietly, not liking the way his voice echoed through the hallway.

"The eighth one, silly. And each room has its own bathroom, plus a smaller adjoining guest bedroom. You're special, so Axel said you're gonna stay in the room next to his. But to get to your room, you have to go through Axel's, so I guess it's not really all that private, I don't use mine and I don't think anyone else does, so you're basically going to the only one here, and…"

Roxas pointedly decided to shut the blond out at this point and just glance at the doors he walked past, each one adorned with a gold plaque displaying a roman numeral, one to thirteen. He didn't like the way his footsteps echoed in the hallway, even if it was muffled by the carpet. He didn't like the tall height of the ceiling above him, and he didn't like the lack of noise beside himself and Demyx. He wished for the congestion of Heartless he'd experienced earlier in the foyer no matter how much he wished them away before.

"...and did you know that peanuts are used in making dynamite? I didn't either, I don't think anyone really does, but it's true! I'm not sure how though… Here's Axel's room!"

Oh thank god! Roxas didn't dare say that out loud.

It was a heavy oak door, just like the other thirteen Roxas walked past and saw looming ahead of him.

"Demyx," Roxas squeaked embarrassingly, flinching forward at the cool, unexpected voice from behind him. Where the hell did he come from? "Remember the filter we talked about?" Zexion asked, walking past Roxas without any acknowledgement to Axel's door, slipping a key in the lock.

"Oh, right…" Demyx mumbled, pretending to zip his lips shut dejectedly.

Roxas shuffled nervously on the plush red carpet, his hands pulling at the hemline of his favorite jacket as Zexion swung the door open and entered, motioning for Roxas to follow suit. Albeit nervously, Roxas entered, Demyx close behind.

The room was nicely furnished, and Roxas noted first the four poster bed with bright red satin sheets in the middle of the far wall. A fancy desk and a computer were against the right wall near a fireplace, file cabinet, and book case. A mini bar was built into the opposite wall and surrounded by red plush furniture, a couch and a nice armchair with the perfectly matching coffee table. Next Roxas took note of a door to against the left wall and a door against the far wall, not far from the head of the bed. The ceiling was tall and the room spacious

"There's the bathroom," Zexion pointed to the door against the far left wall. "Do you need to go?" When he was met with silence, Zexion pointed out the second door; "That leads to your own room. Come along."

Zexion against used the same small key to unlock the door, holding it open for Roxas. Slowly, the blond stepped inside, the entire time expecting something bad to happen. He wasn't sure what, maybe a trapdoor would open beneath him and swallow him whole and maybe not. Either way, he was obviously on edge.

Demyx pitied the poor kid. Like a deer in headlights.

Roxas' personal room was in great contrast to Axel's. No personal bathroom, just a closet and a bookcase. And his suitcases on the floor by the bed, Roxas duly noted. Of course they'd been searched first.

"This is where you'll stay until Axel returns later in the evening." Zexion said matter of factly. The kind of tone that made Roxas want to turn and just punch the kid in his pretty, feminine face.

"Gee, isn't this fancy…" Roxas grumbled instead, choosing the path of less mindless violence, no matter how tempting.

"Be happy to even have this." Zexion replied curtly. "I don't think you realize that most pets to Organization members don't even have rooms." Zexion gave Roxas another glance, again with disapproval. "Or even clothes for that matter."

Before Demyx could step between the two and hopefully distract the conversation, Roxas had turned to Zexion, his little fists clenched and his eyes full of spit fire. Hell, his hair may even be standing on end like a Super Saiyan or something.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Roxas bit through clenched teeth. And again, before Demyx could act, he'd closed the distance between himself and Zexion, leaving Demyx to the side, awkwardly pointing out the feng shui of the room as a distraction.

"All I'm saying," Zexion said calmly, hoping to God the small spark of fear in his stomach wasn't escaping in his voice, "is that you are a pet. The lowest of the low. Don't pretend to be more than you are. Insubordination and sass will not be tolerated."

"C'mon guys, don't fight-"

"Insubordination and sass?" Roxas quipped. He placed his hands on his hips in the sassiest way he could imagine. "Alright, I may be a fucking pet, but that doesn't mean _you_ get to step all over me."

"Then I foresee conflict in our future." Zexion said as coldly as before.

"And I foresee my foot up your ass."

"Okay, okay, okay!" Demyx finally managed to get an arm between the two, followed by the rest of his body. Turning his back to Roxas, hesitantly now that he knew what a fighter the kid was, Demyx turned to Zexion, a hand on his shoulder. "Zexion, what're you doing?"

"He's a pet." Zexion said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He needs ground rules to be laid out or he won't last long here."

"I can handle myself just fine." Roxas snapped.

I really don't need this SHIT right FUCKING now.

"Zexion, cut him some slack." Demyx coaxed once again, trying to block Roxas from the Schemer's point of view when Zexion opened his mouth to argue back. "He's scared, he's surrounded by strangers, he just needs some time, okay? And you gotta stop being an ass right now."

"As I said before," Zexion repeated, slower this time. "He needs the ground rules."

"I said I can fucking handle myself," Stepping quickly, Roxas grabbed Demyx from behind- goddamnit, Demyx knew that was going to happen- and shoved the sandy blond out of his way. "Or did you not hear me?" Roxas asked, using his best Seifer voice.

And Zexion would be damned to ever admit it, but the little thing was definitely intimidating.

"Zexion," Demyx cut protectively in front of the Schemer, holding him by the shoulders and turning him to head out the door. "It's time we were going."

Roxas let the air leave him in an angry huff as Demyx gave him an apologetic look as he steered Zexion out of the room.

But the Schemer always got the last say.

"Watch yourself, Icarus. Fly too close to the sun and your wings will melt."

"Zexion!" Demyx hissed. Finally, he was able to push the Schemer out of the room and close the door behind him, leaving him alone with an angry Roxas.

"Look," Demyx began with a suddenly serious tone. "I'm sorry about Zexion. He doesn't mean to be assy, he's just trying to help you."

"A lot of help he did…" Roxas mumbled, his anger suddenly gone in the face of the bubbly blonde.

Demyx beamed. "He only gives nicknames to people he likes, promise!"

Roxas just rolled his eyes. He'd heard that before.

"Look, I know you're scared." Demyx said quietly, reaching out to give Roxas' shoulder a surprisingly comforting squeeze. And Roxas didn't flinch away. "But Axel will be back soon. And he'll help answer your questions, okay?"

"Yeah sure." The blond said quietly.

"Alright, well," Demyx gave Roxas another squeeze before opening the door again and stepping out. "I'll see you later Roxas."

Roxas remained where he stood, despite his instincts telling him to rush Demyx and escape.

Get out.

"Welcome home, Icarus." Demyx offers as a lame goodbye when the door to Roxas' room closes and, after a few moments, locks.

Yeah, welcome home, Roxas thinks sourly to himself.

* * *

><p>AN: Wow, the part with Marluxia and Naminé is freaking disturbing, even to me. Again, reviews are very much asked for. Thanks for reading!<p>

Ezellia


	5. Ground Rules

AN: I know, I know, I'm a bad person, but here it is! ^^;;

* * *

><p>Roxas dreams of Seifer.<p>

The smell of Old Spice is something comforting, something Roxas imagines he could grab and hold close in a dream world like this. But even in a dream, Roxas is a smart little realist, and deep down he knows that the soft touch of flattened gold locks and the rough but perfect handle of a much larger blond with awkward hands is only a memory.

Seifer's beautiful, Roxas notes in his dream as he feels rough, chapped lips on his. The big blond giant has a gentle, almost feminine curve to his jawbones. Soft and nice to the touch. Roxas could go with this. There's definitely something irritating about Seifer, but there's also something sad. Something pathetic about that strong, _don't you fuck with me_ glare that makes Roxas want to pull him close, even in his dreams, and hold him tight.

Like Roxas used to do in reality.

Seifer and Roxas first started messing around behind the bulletin board in the sandlot. Roxas being a big more confident, but that didn't stop Seifer. They were both teenagers; stupid, stupid teenagers, washed up in hormones, emotions, and _the world hates me_ attitudes. Seifer hasn't quite filled out with his classical muscle look yet. He's all spidery limbs and pointy elbows that he hasn't quite mastered as his clumsy, stupid fingers struggle to work the buttons on Roxas' button down shirt.

When Roxas sighs and thinks maybe they should call this off because Seifer's so nervous he can't work a damn _button_, Seifer simply rips the shirt down the middle, buttons flying and fabric tearing.

What a _man_ thing to do, Roxas thinks with a roll of his eyes. Seifer probably catches the look, but doesn't bother with a snide comment as his mouth moves to Roxas' neck, his fingers going to his nipples to pinch and pull painfully like an idiot working radio dials.

While Seifer is still awkward with his body, even more so than his newly discovered sexuality, Roxas has already hit a maturity beyond himself. He's short and thin, something he's come to terms with, and has learned to move with a gentle grace beyond his teenage years. One minute he's sashaying his skinny hips across the sandlot with a confident teenage air about him, and suddenly Seifer's grabbing him, emotionally vomiting every teenage woe he has into one crushing kiss, hidden sloppily behind a billboard and some shrubbery.

And Roxas is ready to go with the flow, because the flow feels good, when suddenly the blond teenagers are being pulled apart by an angry redhead in black.

* * *

><p>When Roxas' mind slowly ascends to conscious thought, he notes sullenly that the lips against his are no longer nervous, hesitant, and a dream. They're thin, tight, pressing just right and gentle and vivid.<p>

"You know," Roxas can sense Axel's infuriating smirk in the dark of his new bedroom as the redhead pulls up from where he was leaning over the blond. "This'll be the second time I've broken up you two crazy teens." Something about his chiding voice reminds Roxas of his old dentist, the one who used to give abstinence talks at his old high school in health class. And obviously had nothing better to talk about besides abstaining from sexual temptation as he grops around Roxas' mouth with sharp metal objects.

"Fuck you, it's more like the millionth." Roxas bites out, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand and dully noting the stiffie in his pants that Axel was eying hungrily. "How the hell did you even know?"

"You talk in your sleep," Axel comments conversationally, as if he hadn't been standing there watching Roxas sleep for the past ten minutes. He gets up from the edge of the bed sensing that Roxas needed some space. "You know, I could rock blond hair. If that's what it'll take."

"Fuck you!" Roxas snaps, trying to act like he wasn't surprised by his own venom. "It's none of your goddamn business!" He's sitting up now, looking pathetic and tiny on his bed as Axel leans against the wall, his arms crossed and his face expressionless.

Roxas would give anything to see that stupid smirk on the redhead's face right now as he offers quietly; "Please. Just leave him out of this, okay?" Roxas realizes it's a mistake to admit something like that, so stupidly and openly, but he can't damn well help it.

Axel uncrosses his arms and stuffs gloved hands into his coat pocket, and Roxas suddenly gets the feeling that he cares. His face is a bit red, bitten by the strong wind that tended to plague Twilight Town. "Why?" Axel asks, like he's discussing the goddamn weather. "He your first love?"

"None of your damn business," Roxas snaps. He throws his legs over the edge of the bed, and Axel doesn't seem concerned as Roxas stomps past him into Axel's private room.

As expected, Roxas makes a beeline for the bathroom. As the door slams shut and locks into place, Axel saunters out of Roxas' room to lean against the bathroom door. He tugs off his coat and tosses it onto the couch as he moves past, removing his gloves with his teeth and tossing them to the floor with a bit less care.

"So," Axel looks closely at his finger nails, picking at dirt. "Icarus."

There's a muffled response from beyond the bathroom door that Axel can fill in, the sound of rushing water, then a louder response, this one meant to be heard. "Zexion's a dick."

"Arguable. Though I'd go more for bookwormy." Axel replies smoothly. There's more silence from the bathroom, and Axel resigns himself to the mini bar, a glass of scotch, and a warm plush couch as he eyes the bathroom.

His pet is no coward, but Axel still tries to make himself as non threatening as possible when Roxas finally emerges from the bathroom, his body tensed with fight or flight tingles. There's a tense moment before Axel motions to the plush chair across form him. He watches over the tip of his glass as Roxas moves purposefully to the chair. He drops down onto the cushion, sitting on his hands and pulled tight in on himself.

"Might I offer you a drink, Icarus?" The redhead says calmly, swirling the amber liquid in his glass with a gentle smile that he knows tends to catch Roxas off guard.

"Don't call me that, goddamnit!" Roxas snaps. His hand flies out faster than Axel expects from a kid that shaky or twitchy, and swipes the glass form his hands. Without spilling an apparently precious drop, Roxas downs the entire shot of whiskey with a sour face. Like a dog sniffing another god's butt. Or a kid drinking alcohol for the first time, which Axel wouldn't be surprised by, of all things.

"Whoa, whoa, watch the whiskey there, John Blutarsky!" Axel's chuckling to himself as Roxas slams the empty glass down onto the tabletop with finality, damnit! And a bit of a hiccup and head swoon, but Axel imagines that Roxas is sensitive about being a lightweight, as he is about most other things.

"So, Roxas." Axel says by means of conversation starting. He;s got a serious conversation to have with the kid, and Roxas seems to sense it as he tenses in his seat. Like he wasn't already tense enough to snap his spine in half. Axel had been entertaining the idea of maybe jumping seats next to Roxas on the couch, but now dismisses the thought.

"So, you little _fucker._"

Axel can't help a prideful grin. That's my boy, he thinks to himself.

"What the fuck do you think you were doing leaving me alone with those- those- gah!" Roxas rises from his seat in apparently inexplicable indignation. He waves his arms as he does so, flapping like a spastic bird learning to fly as he stomps about the room, his shoes making dulled thumps against the thick red carpet.

"You know what I say when I feel like swearing?" Axel reaches cheerily across the coffee table to reclaim his old whiskey glass before pouring himself another shot.

"What?" Roxas hisses in his direction, still pacing-stomping- about.

"Fudge." Axel supplies helpfully with a sip of burning alcohol.

"Of that's fudging fudge and you fudging well know it you fudging mother fudger!"

Axel lets his eyebrows momentarily raise at that one. "Fuckin' got that right, kiddo. Now, come, sit." Axel motions vaguely with his hand. "We gotta talk, short stack."

Roxas doesn't like it, but he grudgingly takes his seat. "What's with the fudging nicknames?"

"Just trying to find a fit." Axel says, rolling his tongue playfully as if he was silently testing every word with his tongue and his lips. He leans back in his chair, still playing with his own tongue, watching Roxas for the tiniest bit of a reaction.

That tongue/mouth thing has just the most minimal effect on Roxas' long gone stiffie, but he'll castrate himself before he admits it.

"Since you don't like Icarus, kiddo, short stack, or hot stuff, I'll have to find something else."

The blond's tiny inner volcano seems to erupt at the remembrance of Zexion. "What the fudge is that guy's problem, anyways? Douchebag."

"Yes, you've made your opinion quite clear." Axel says with the slightest mix of amusement and exasperation in his voice that is just so Axel. "While I realize Zexion may have come off a bit..." Axel makes a rolling motion with his hand as he searches for the word, "_commanding_, he made valid points."

Axel is suddenly all business, and Roxas doesn't fudging like it.

The redhead sets his glass down, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and interlaces his fingers. It may be childish, but Roxas chooses to lean back in response, tossing his arms lazily over the back of the couch, as if he could trick Axel into thinking he was in control here.

As if he could trick himself.

"Roxas, you're a pet." Axel states simply. Roxas opens his mouth to argue, but is quickly interrupted, "No, no arguments. That's the official name for your, er, position. And pet's have basically no rights in our little hierarchy here."

Roxas scowls at the blatant misuse of such a word.

"Let me perhaps lay this out for you," Axel offers quite pleasantly. "Pets are generally kept for sexual favor. They do as their master says, or what a member who outranks their master may command. Under no circumstances are they allowed to be willingly unfaithful, or the consequences are to be decided by the master. But the master may be as promiscuous as they so choose. A pet's chores may also extend beyond the bedroom to something more domestic. Such as general housekeeping of the master's personal living space."

"Essentially, a pet receives the clothes their master gives them, eats what their given, and does what their told."

Roxas decides to pull his arms back tight to his chest, opting for artificial security over faked intimidation. "And if the master dies?"

"What, planning on offing me already?" Axel snorts. "In the event of my death, according to my will and state of affairs, you may be passed on to another member as inheritance, or you may be freed from service."

"And in the event of your death?" Roxas probes cautiously but very unsubtly.

"Now, Roxy." Axel smiles coyly, and he stands from where he was sitting on the seat to move slowly to the couch. Roxas recoils at the motion, scooting to the far end form where Axel seats himself. "This is how the game is played. Why on Earth would I tell you what happens in the event of my passing?"

"Out of the goodness of your heart?" Roxas dares to joke.

"Come now, Roxas. That just wouldn't be fair. In my death, you could either go free, or I could leave you to be gang raped by several lower ranking members. It happens to be in my best interest not to tell you."

Exactly what Roxas was FUDGING worried about, damnit!

"Hmm?" Axel flashes that damn grin. "Thinking twice about offing me, now aren't we?"

"What're the rules?" Roxas breathes out, trying to conver the fact that his lungs were frozen in his chest as he awaited for the answer. "You said masters asked for different things." He motions vaguely with a trembling hand. "What're mine?"

"That's my lil college boy," Axel grins, and he's reaching for the black jacket he had tossed onto the couch earlier. Roxas watches him with wary eyes as the redhead rifles through his jacket pocket until he produces a tightly sealed envelope. He's hating the way he shakes as Axel pulls out a thick stack of white paper to pass to Roxas.

With a pen.

"Zexion wrote it up for me,"

Of course he fudging did, Roxas thinks to himself as he takes the paper and pen into his hands.

"It's a contract." Axel explains. "It states the simple ground rules of our relationship, because I'm a fair player of the game, if nothing else." There's a moment of silence for Roxas to give the paper a once over. "You're to remain faithful to me, and in the event that you should be evidently raped, you have every right to self defense and will not be held accountable. You will not be denied food or drink on any occasion, but I have the right to exercise punishment should you choose to break any rules we've outlined. Nothing cruel or unusual, of course. It's quite simple really. I'll handle your health and well being, you'll be allowed to pursue a college education from the mansion here, and your visitation rights to town will be granted or suspension at my discretion."

Roxas doesn't even bother trying to read all the block paragraphs.

"Essentially, I will be a fair master to you in return for reasonable obedience and loyalty."

And Roxas looks up at Axel with those wide, scared doe eyes that first stole the redhead's breath from his lungs and his heart from his chest. With a gentle smile, Axel reaches out slowly, taking the stack of papers and pen from Roxas' clearly quaking hands. "Here," He sets both items down on the coffee table. "I'll give you three days to go over the contract, no need to sign right away. Should anything so clearly unreasonable come to your attention, we'll have the chance to discuss it before you sign."

There a long moment of silence as Roxas slowly looks from the contract to Axel, and back again. Axel expects some kind of indignant banshee wail and a couple tiny fists thrashing for his eye sockets. Instead, Roxas quietly asks; "What the fudge?"

"I'm sorry?" Axel doesn't even try to hide the fact that he expected something more from someone with such an articulate vocabulary.

"Why are you doing this?" Roxas sighs. He reaches up to scrub an unsteady hand over his face. Over his eyes, carting roughly through his hair. "Why the fuck did you write up a contract."

"It's in your best interests, lovely." Axel honestly didn't expect to have to spell that out.

It was a bit more expected when Roxas suddenly lashes out, using thin but surprisingly strong arms to shove Axel as far away form him as he can. As the redhead falls back into the couch, Roxas is standing again, stomping his feet and raving quite loudly.

"What the fuck, Axel? You fucking make me a document? What the fuck are you, a lawyer? There's nothing right or even goddamn respectable about this! Don't try and twist this around into some kind of half-baked consensual situation!"

Axel draws himself up to his full six foot something height, but the tiny blond doesn't back down like he'd expected or even hoped for. Instead, the intimidation only makes Roxas more angry.

"Don't you act like the fucking do gooder here!" The blond shrieks, pointing an accusing finger in Axel's face. "You're a fucking criminal! A goddamn rapist and murderer! Don't you be my goddamn savior! Cause it's just sick and twisted that you think you can save me from yourself!" Opting to wave his arms in fury rather than continue screaming, Roxas finally lets out an angry huff. "What the fucks the point? You're just going to rape me. You fucking rapist."

Roxas emphasizes his point with harsh punch to the wardrobe that he was closest to that leaves his knuckles bleeding.

And that's Axel's final straw. Before the blond registers what's going on, Axel is by his side, grabbing his injured hand and yanking it behind his back. With a loud yelp, Roxas is suddenly on the couch again, splayed out on his back as Axel stands over him.

"That's in the contract too," Axel says, his voice measured and dangerous. "You hurt yourself, in any goddamn way, you'll be paying severe consequences."

"Let me up," Roxas says, this time a bit more quietly and pleading than before.

"I will not rape you, Roxas." Axel continues, not bothering to give Roxas any recognition. "I will not force myself on you in anyway."

Axel leans down beside the couch, his hands placing themselves on either side of Roxas' head, and suddenly they're up damn close and damn personal. "Because that's what you want, isn't it?"

"Excuse me? Are you fudging crazy?" Roxas spits, only to be ignored again.

"If I rape you, then it'll make it oh so easy to hate me, won't it?" Axel is leaning in close again, his lips grazing against the shell of Roxas' ear as the blond turns away. Tries to hide himself in the red couch. Lose himself in it.

"I won't rape you, Roxas. I won't make you hate me."

Gripping Roxas' chin hard in a bony hand, Axel forces the blond to face him with a grunt. And those beautiful, teary doe eyes are back. The one's that make Axel breathlessly admit,

"I swear, I'll make you fall in love with me."

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! I apologize if the ending seems a little rushed, I tried my best with it, honest!<p>

Ezellia


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